Moments In Time
by scifislasher
Summary: Lost Galaxy A series of moments and events in the lives of Leo Corbett and Kai Chen using the Power Rangers Slash Write 22 themes.
1. Obssessive

Title: **Beware of Sharp Pointy Objects**

Disclaimer: Not mine, never will be.

* * *

Leo learned the hard way that Kai took his cooking very seriously. Very, very seriously.

"No, no, no!" Kai shouted, as he alternately glared between Leo and his attempted meal. "You do _not_ touch my cooking things, Leo. Never. Ever. Remember what happened the last time you tried cooking? You set off the fire alarm and we had to vent the smoke out the room because you couldn't keep your mind on what you were doing. Never again." Considering Kai was using his hands to emphasis his points, and considering he was holding a very sharp knife in the one hand and a big spoon in the other, Leo nodded vigorously, backing away cautiously, making a mental note to keep out of Kai's way whenever the other man was angry and wielding sharp, pointy things.

After the fire alarm debacle Kai had made it clear to he and Damon that they were not to touch his things, _especially_ his cooking things, without permission, making a point of saying he didn't want to have to clean up somebody else's mess. Again. Leo had got the point. That didn't stop him trying to cook something when he was hungry. Besides, he thought, it would be a surprise for the others as well. He _could_ cook, damn it. _Damon_ was the one who couldn't cook.

Apparently Kai didn't agree, hence the knife and spoon being waved in his face. "Okay, okay," he said, holding his hands out in surrender/defence. "I get it. No touching the cooking stuff."

Kai narrowed his eyes at him, as if weighing up his sincerity. "Good," he said finally. "And you'd better remember it this time, because next time…" his voice trailed off in silent threat.

"Got it," Leo repeated firmly. "Never again."

Kai nodded in satisfaction. "Alright then. Now, I suppose I can do _something_ with this travesty you call food."

Leo stayed out of his way as Kai moved around their small kitchen, adding things he hadn't thought of and snorting in disgust at some of the things he had. He had to admit though, that the man knew his food. At least this meal would be edible, unlike his and Damon's attempts. He watched in fascination as the blue ranger prepared the meal, his fingers lightly adding seasoning here and there, adjusting the temperature of the cooker minutely and keeping an eye on three different things at once. He didn't know how Kai did it.

He flinched as Damon walked in and was treated to a glare from their resident neurotic. The green ranger looked over at him in confusion, then noticed his sheepish look. For once deciding that discretion was the better part of valour, Damon didn't say anything, simply walked over to his bed and flopped onto it.

Leo steadfastly didn't look at Kai as he started serving up dinner, the food being set on his plate with more force than was strictly necessary. _Alright_, he thought in irritation. _I get it already._

He had to admit though, this was way better than what he'd had planned. It was probably a good idea to leave the kitchen to Kai.


	2. Loss

Title: Reaching Out 

Spoilers for 'The Power of Pink'

* * *

Leo walked heavily into the room he shared with Kai and Damon, numb and exhausted, both physically and emotionally. It was hard to believe that Kendrix was really gone and he couldn't quite get his head round it. Over and over all he could see was Kendrix fighting her way through the swirling vortex, trying to reach Psycho Pink before she could destroy the planet, Cassie screaming both in agony as her power was ripped out of her and desperation as she tried to stop Kendrix sacrificing herself. In vain. He could have told her it wouldn't work, when Kendrix set her mind to something there was very little that could stop her. 

As the lights came on in the room he found Kai sitting on one of the chairs, staring into empty space. He sat down next to his boyfriend, his fingers brushing against the other man's, but there was no reaction. Kai's expression was blank but his eyes were suspiciously red-rimmed and it wasn't hard to see how badly Kai was taking this, now that the adrenaline of the day had worn off. He and Kendrix went back a long way, they'd gone through GSA training together and they were pretty close, despite both of them being reserved people and her sacrifice had hit him hard.

He shifted slightly so that he could drape an arm around Kai's shoulders, curling his legs up under him as he did so. At first there was no more reaction than before, then Kai shuddered a little and leant into him. Resting his head against Kai's, Leo joined the other man in staring into empty space.

* * *

Damon tiredly stepped into his quarters. Trying to bury himself in work hadn't helped. Kendrix had been a friend, more than that really, and the loss cut deeply. He didn't think there were any words that could describe the connections between his team-mates - 'friends' didn't really cover it and nothing else even came close, except maybe family - they were a part of him, and losing one of them was like losing part of himself. He'd tried going to engineering, tried to lose himself in repair work, things he _could_ fix, but the normally oblivious-to-anything-that's-not-mechanical chief mechanic had chosen today of all days to get perceptive and had sent him home. 

He'd stopped off along the way to see how Maya was doing, she had been Kendrix's best friend after all, but he needn't have bothered. Mike was there already and he didn't want to intrude so he'd left. Except it seemed he was intruding here as well. Kai and Leo were curled around each other on one of the chairs, seemingly asleep, although not sleeping well if their expressions were anything to go by.

He sighed and trudged over to his bed, kicking his boots off, then pulling himself up and collapsing on the mattress, staring at the ceiling. He supposed that now he could stop pretending he hadn't noticed they were seeing each other, especially considering how protectively Leo's arm had curled around Kai, and how easily Kai's head rested against Leo's shoulder. He sighed again in frustration, turning over so he was facing the wall, trying not to feel as alone as he did.

* * *

When he woke the next morning, it was to find Kai and Leo moving slowly around their quarters, practically on autopilot. They looked like he felt, dark smudges under their eyes and a heaviness to their movement that mirrored his own. No doubt if the circumstances had been different they would have tried to explain away being curled around each other last night, but right now it seemed that neither of them had the energy and he didn't feel like being a jerk and making a big deal of it, so he just grunted a 'morning' in their general direction and slumped over the table. 

A bowl of cereal was placed just under his nose and he studied it for a moment before using the spoon that had been placed in his hand. He smiled tiredly at Kai, both of them trying to make the morning routines as normal as possible. Kai gave him a half-smile back then turned away, shoving another bowl into Leo's hands, the other man murmuring a quiet 'thank you' in response. He dragged the coffee pot over and poured himself a mugful. Today was going to require lots and lots of coffee. He didn't need Maya's intuition to tell him that.

They ate in silence, an unusual feat for them, because Leo was normally very cheerful in the mornings - one of those people who actually _liked_ mornings - and usually the bouncy cheerfulness was catching, well, for him anyway. Kai somehow managed to stay out of it mostly, except when he chimed in with a dry comment on whatever it was he and Leo were debating this time. That wasn't the case this morning though, none of them saying anything, not willing to risk bringing up Kendrix's name. As if not mentioning her made her less dead, less gone. Less like a piece of them had been ripped away.

"I should go," Kai said into the silence. "My shift starts soon."

He and Leo nodded in unison. "You be alright?" Leo asked quietly and Kai grimaced slightly.

"I'll have to be," Kai replied. "See you guys later." He stood and walked out the room, the doors hissing shut behind him.

Leo stared at the door before turning back to the room, the direct gaze studying him carefully for a moment, until Damon felt like demanding Leo just say what he had to already. "Look, Damon, we--"

"It's cool, man," he said, waving a hand in Leo's direction. "It's not like I didn't know anyway."

Leo blinked in surprise. "You did?"

Damon gave him a wry look. "Leo, we share quarters. I'm not that oblivious."

"Oh. Okay, then. It doesn't bother you?"

He snorted softly. "Faulty parts bother me. Shoddy repair work bothers me. You and Kai getting together… not exactly up there on 'bothering me'."

Leo gave him a crooked half-smile. "Good. I mean, we just don't want you to feel--"

Damon waved his hand in dismissal before downing what was left of his coffee. "Not my business." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "I should be getting ready, too," he said. "I've got a lot of stuff to catch up on." If he wasn't sent home again for looking too wrecked, that is.

Leo nodded. "Okay."

Heading for the shower, when he came out it was to find Leo putting everything away, scrubbing at the food counters with a vehemence he usually reserved for those of Scorpius' or Trakeena's flunkies who had really pissed him off, like Furio when he'd still been around. "See you later," he offered hesitantly, but Leo looked across almost immediately.

"Yeah, sure. Later."

* * *

Leo stared across the clearing that housed the Galactabeasts. The Wildcat was curled up in a ball, and even the tentative attempts of the other Galactabeasts didn't seem to be reaching her. It seemed that the connection between the Galactabeasts and their rangers went a lot deeper than they'd thought, and the Pink Wildcat was mourning her ranger. 

That prompted a series of uneasy questions, questions none of them had wanted to face yet. Would they still be able to form the Megazord if they needed to? Would the Wildcat still fight with them, even though her ranger was gone? With Kendrix gone, the Lights of Orion were lost to them as well and that left them at a distinct disadvantage the next time one of Trakeena's monsters attacked the colony. He sighed heavily. What were they going to do?

"Here you are," came the voice behind him and he looked around to find Kai standing behind him. "I had to ask Alpha where you'd gone."

He smiled a little. "I needed some space."

Kai sat down next to him. "Wildcat's not looking so good," he noted quietly and Leo nodded.

"I know." He paused for a moment, hesitant to ask. "Did Kendrix have any family?"

Kai shrugged. "Back on Earth? I think so. Here? No."

"No-one else to tell then," Leo said with a curious sense of relief.

Kai shook his head. "I already informed the head of the lab she worked in. And I added her to the list."

Leo flinched. The List. The list of all those who'd died on the voyage so far, due to first Scorpius, then Trakeena. All the people they'd failed to save. It was an irony to end all irony that Kendrix was now on that list. Another casualty.

"What brings you out here?" he asked instead. "I didn't think your shift was over yet." It shouldn't be anyway. He knew Kai's schedule by heart by now. Normally he wouldn't be finished for another three hours.

Kai shrugged. "The Commander sent me home. I think he heard about Kendrix and decided I shouldn't really be on duty. Not if I'm not concentrating properly on my job. Besides," he added, "there's plenty of other people who can cover the helm of the ship."

"But not as good as you," Leo pointed out quickly. "And Commander Stanton knows that."

He was treated to a wry smile. "My ego thanks you," Kai replied dryly.

A flash of yellow caught their attention as Maya stepped hesitantly into the clearing. "Am I interrupting?" she asked cautiously, but the two men shook their heads and she sank to the ground gracefully next to Kai. "The Galactabeasts are mourning Kendrix," she said quietly.

"We know," Leo replied. "I don't think any of us realised how closely connected we are with them. Except you," he added with a slight smile.

Maya smiled sadly. "I don't think even I'd realised."

The conversation drifted away from the uncomfortable topic until a fourth figure joined them. "Is this a private party or can anyone join in?" Damon asked, tired but still trying to muster some cheerfulness.

"Pull up some grass," Kai replied in kind.

The conversation resumed, only now when Kendrix's name came up it wasn't immediately shied away from, all of them sharing their memories of the pink ranger, remembering her as she was instead of how she'd died. They still grieved their loss, but it was no longer eating away at them and when they separated a few hours later, simulated dusk just beginning to set in, it was with lighter hearts than before.

* * *

Maya sank back in her hammock and stared at the ceiling. On their way back to their quarters Damon had suddenly remembered some repairs that absolutely _had_ to be done, but she thought he'd made good his escape so he wasn't caught in the middle of anything Kai and Leo wanted to do, pretty sure that he would most likely be in the way - something that would only make things uncomfortable for everyone concerned. She smiled sadly. Too bad Kendrix never got to see them open about being together, even if she'd known anyway. 

She glanced over at the photo on the stand, a photo Leo had taken of her and Kendrix a few months back. The idea of capturing images like that had been something incredibly new for her and at first she'd been wary, but after Leo had taken a few, mostly of Damon doing stupid things, she'd relaxed and eventually that photo had come out. She'd been so pleased with it that Kendrix had gotten it framed and it had sat on the side ever since.

Passing into sleep, her dreams were full of Kendrix: the day the photograph had been taken; the first major fight they'd had; the time Trakeena's monster had pretended to be her childhood friend Shandra and Kendrix tried so hard to get her to see the truth. Eventually though, another image of Kendrix appeared, more ghostly, more ethereal.

"Maya, protect my Quasar Sabre."

The urgency broke through the layers of sleep, finally permeating her mind with the need to find the Pink Quasar Sabre before it fell into the wrong hands. Maybe once they'd gotten it back, Kendrix would be able to rest easily.


	3. Hallways

Title: Reckoning

AN: Spoilers for 'Trakeena's Revenge'

* * *

Kai stalked through the halls of the Aquabase, silently fuming. Leo was walking ahead of him, chatting animatedly with the Lightspeed rangers and clearly very cheerful. Well, that wouldn't last long. Just wait until he had the other man alone and _then_ he'd wipe that self-satisfied expression off his face. 

"Right, Kai?"

He blinked. "Sorry. What?"

Leo grinned at him. "You weren't paying attention were you?"

Kai gave him a tight smile back. "Sorry," he replied. "I was thinking about something else." Leo didn't even have the decency to look rattled, damn him. It was like he thought he hadn't done anything wrong. The others shrugged and dismissed the incident, continuing their walk through the base. Maya though, was giving him a wary look. She wasn't stupid, she knew how pissed he was and she was probably waiting for the explosion. And hoping she was far away when it happened.

"Come on, Kai," Leo said cheerfully. "Let's catch up with the others."

That was it. Kai's hand connected firmly with Leo's face - an open-handed slap rather than the punch he really felt like letting loose - and Leo stared at him in stunned bewilderment, even as the others turned back to see what the problem was.

"What the hell was that for?" Leo demanded, gently touching his fingertips to his flaming cheek.

"What was that for?" Kai repeated dangerously. "That was for going after Trakeena by yourself. That was for taking off and trying to play martyr. What were you planning on doing anyway, blowing her up again and yourself with her? What the hell were you _thinking?_"

"Ah--"

"Or were you even thinking at all?" he continued, not caring that he was shouting or that they were having a public argument in the middle of a busy workplace.

"Kai, I--"

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Kai replied. "You know, you always do this. You throw yourself into danger without thinking things through and that just makes everything ten times worse."

* * *

"They all right?" Joel asked cautiously, eyeing the two Galaxy rangers warily. The blue ranger was clearly pissed off, hands waving in the air and jabbing in the other man's face, and Leo had just as clearly been caught off guard by his friend's anger, watching him like a deer caught in headlights.

"A note, Leo," Kai hissed. "A damn _note_, that's all you leave? 'Trakeena's on Earth and I'm going after her.' What the hell was that?"

"Oh, they're fine," Maya said calmly. "Kai just needs to get that out of his system. I'm surprised Leo didn't see it coming though. You'd think he would."

"You sure?" Joel replied. "Because they don't seem fine."

Leo had finally managed a get a word in and was attempting to defend his actions. Not very successfully.

"Yes," was the serene response. "Kai was afraid and this is the way he's dealing with it. They'll argue for a while and then they'll be fine."

Leo had grabbed hold of Kai's hands in his attempt to no doubt talk his way out of the mess he'd found himself in, but Kai had yanked them back, not giving an inch. _Ohh_, Joel thought. _That's what it was about._

"Well, alright then. In that case, may I escort you to your room?"

Extending his arm to Maya flamboyantly, the woman laughed and linked her arm through his as they continued on their way.

* * *

"Kai, I'm sorry, alright?" Leo tried, his attempts at appeasing his pissed off lover not succeeding very well.

"Oh you will be," Kai snapped and Leo winced inwardly. When Kai was this upset it could be extremely hard to get back on his good side and they didn't have that luxury.

* * *

He was still trying to work out how things had gone so badly wrong with Kai when Carter caught up with him a couple of hours later.

"Is everything alright?" the taller man asked carefully. "I know it's none of my business but you and Kai seem a little tense."

Leo sighed and slumped against the wall. "He's pissed because I took off by myself," he said in resignation. "Don't suppose I can really blame him though," he continued. "If it was the other way around I'd be just as mad. Although," he finished with a wince, "Kai probably wouldn't just take off without telling anyone and leave only a note."

"A note?" Carter asked, his serious expression a mixture of amusement and understanding.

"Yeah," Leo sighed. "But if I'd tried telling him face to face he probably would've knocked me out until I came to my senses."

Carter's lips twitched slightly. "He seems very protective," he said neutrally but Leo just gave him a wry smile.

"Protective is not the word," he replied dryly. "Still, he'll get over it. Or get even, one or the other."

"Will it be a problem while we're dealing with Trakeena?" the Lightspeed red ranger asked bluntly.

Leo shook his head. "No. Kai's professional to a fault. He won't let his personal feelings cloud his judgement, not when there's a battle just around the corner."

Carter nodded in relief. "Good to know. So, tactically we're as ready as we're ever going to be. Are you ready to take on Trakeena again? If you have to."

Leo nodded, feeling the grim expression settle on his features. "We're ready," he said quietly, but determinedly. "And this time we'll finish Trakeena once and for all."


	4. Peace

Behind Silent Eyes

Leo sighed softly in bliss. This was the life. No attacks, no duties, nothing keeping him and Kai from enjoying this rare downtime. The two of them had finally managed to get some time apart from the others and they were spending it in the Mountain Dome. He was leaning against a tree and Kai's fingers were tracing idle patterns on his stomach through the thin cotton of his shirt. The benefit of living on a space colony with regulated weather was that you were never caught off guard and the standard temperature was usually balmy enough that thick clothes weren't necessary.

_Beep!_

The pair straightened immediately. "What is it, Alpha?" Leo asked, inwardly bemoaning the interruption to their free time.

"Trakeena's sent a warrior to the colony!" came the rapid response. "She's in the City Dome right now."

"We're on our way," Kai said firmly. "We'll meet the others there."

* * *

Running onto the scene, a demolished street in one of the quieter areas of the City Dome, Leo stared at the latest reject Trakeena had sent to face them, certain that he'd seen her before: Impostra, the one who'd almost managed to get the Lights of Orion for Trakeena. But they'd beaten her; he was sure they had.

"Hello, rangers," the alien woman said lightly, holding a staff almost the same size as herself easily in her right hand. "We haven't met, so allow me to introduce myself. I am Hypnosia and we have some business to attend to."

"How's that?" he demanded. Not Impostra, then. Maybe the same species, though? That would explain the similarity.

"You killed my sister," she hissed, "and now you will pay."

_Sister?_ he thought, stunned. Impostra and this Hypnosia? _Damn_. He knew how powerful the need for revenge could be, she wasn't going to hold back at all.

"She attacked the colony," he responded anyway. "We did what we had to."

"Enough talking!" was the outraged yell as Hypnosia launched herself at them. Sure enough, she didn't hold back. She was relentless in her attacks, savage almost, relying not on strength but her speed and flexibility, dodging and weaving out of their way, wearing them down bit by bit. Falling into formation, Kai and Karone beside him, Maya and Damon behind them, they readied themselves. It was time to take this to the next level.

"Lights of Orion!" he began. "Activa--"

The blast of pure power sent them flying to the floor, their morphs gone. Looking round, Leo spotted Kai lying next to him, struggling to push himself back to his feet, as were the others, and he instinctively reached out as the other man sank back to the ground. Hypnosia, though, had seen his aborted gesture and she laughed.

"Oh, red ranger you're a fool. You've just given me the weapon to destroy you." He stared back at her as the tip of the staff glowed a faint green-blue. "You took someone precious from me, now I'll take someone precious from you."

She levelled the staff at Kai and the light shot out like a bolt of turquoise lightning, impacting on the blue ranger a moment later and blasting him across the street until he crashed into a wall. Leo's scream of Kai's name was drowned out by the sound of Hypnosia's laughter as she relaxed into a more casual stance. Leo literally saw red behind his eyes, his vision narrowing until the alien woman was all he could see. She would pay for that.

Apparently the other rangers felt the same way, the call 'Go Galactic' echoing in the air as they re-morphed and threw themselves back into the fight. Hypnosia retreated before the ferocity of their attack, but even as she fell back she radiated smugness, managing to get in a parting shot as she fell back. "This isn't over, rangers," she taunted. "He's just the first. Soon I'll have all of you." And with that, she was gone.

His team-mates beside him, Leo ran over to where Kai was still lying on the floor, unmoving. When he reached the other man he was thrown by the dark eyes staring sightlessly at him and his first reaction was a sharp kick in the gut, a twisting knot of pain in his chest followed by instant denial. Kai wasn't… he couldn't be… He reached out with trembling fingers, ignoring the anxious questions behind him and he relaxed with a shuddering breath as he found a pulse - slow but steady. Kai was alive. Now all they had to do was get him to the infirmary and work out what had just happened.

* * *

"I don't know what she did," Karone sighed, standing by the door to the infirmary, her hands twisting together as she spoke. "I'm not familiar enough with the species to know. Ecliptor was a good teacher, but there was so much to learn that some areas got glossed over. All I know for sure is that as a species they're masters of deception and infiltration. If you wanted information or anything like that you went to them. Unfortunately, I don't know what she's even done to Kai and without knowing that I wouldn't have any idea how to reverse it."

Leo sighed himself, the sound born of anger and frustration. "So we have no clue what's happened, no clue how to fix it and we have an alien woman bent on revenge just waiting to hit us with everything she's got. This is just great."

There was quiet in the room as the situation sank in. "Then we find out what happened," Mike said firmly into the silence. "We might not know what Hypnosia did to Kai yet, but Alpha's working on it. All we have to do is wait and see what he comes up with. Then we can assess our options again."

Maya nodded, her expression brightening slightly. "I agree. We can't let her beat us and that's what we're doing right now."

Damon nodded as well. "Right. I say we hit the databases, see if there's anything there that'll help us." He looked round to see who agreed and found the girls and Mike nodding slowly. Leo nodded as well, reluctant to move though he was. He knew he shouldn't give in so easily but the blank look in Kai's eyes even now ate at him. His boyfriend was sitting on the bed, staring mindlessly into empty space, no trace of the usual dry humour or exasperation that was always so present in the other man's gaze. The emptiness there made him want to scream, cry, kill something, anything that would bring Kai back to him. He hadn't felt that way since Mike had fallen down the crevasse back on Mirinoi, for all intents and purposes gone forever.

He startled at the hand he suddenly felt on his shoulder and spun round to find the infirmary empty of everyone except for himself and Mike. And Kai of course, but he didn't exactly count at the moment.

"We'll get him back," Mike said quietly, his eyes firm, full of conviction and radiating surety. Leo wanted to believe him, he really did, but he'd lost a lot of his innocence since becoming the red ranger and he couldn't afford to believe that his big brother had all the answers anymore; couldn't afford to believe in Mike when he said everything would be alright, not when it might never be right again.

"Yeah," was all he said though, his eyes turning back to Kai, still sitting on the infirmary bed, staring sightlessly at him.

"Why don't you stay here?" Mike continued. "If anything changes you can fill us in, okay?"

He nodded back. "Sure." He wasn't an idiot, he knew Mike was giving him an excuse to stay here where he most wanted to be, just in case something changed, no matter how unlikely that chance was.

* * *

"This is useless!" Damon snapped, slapping his hand against the console he'd been working at in an uncharacteristic display of frustration. "We're not getting anywhere." DECA's red light blinked at him and he absently stroked the console in apology. "Sorry, girl," he muttered and Maya looked over from the monitor she was standing at, slowly pushing at the buttons as she made her way through the archives.

"We'll find something," she said calmly, but the serenity that she usually projected only served to heighten his own impatience. Mike glanced across at the pair of them, his fingers pausing from the console he was working at.

"She's right, Damon," he said. "We just need to keep looking."

The green ranger sighed, but with the majority of his team focused on the job in hand he tried to refocus his own thoughts and concentrate on finding an answer. Karone hadn't even blinked at the brief fit of temper, her fingers flying over the console as she went from database to database, correlating information along the way. While he might be the mechanic, Karone was Kerovan and therefore familiar with this technology, almost on an instinctive level. She was also the only one of the team DECA hadn't originally seen as an interloper and he sometimes suspected the AI of favouritism, opening digital doors for the pink ranger that she wouldn't for the rest of them. The fact that she was also Andros' sister probably didn't hurt either, he thought wryly. Karone had connections with this ship that he could only dream of and there were times he envied that about her. Still, those connections might be the only chance they had to find anything that would help Kai and if DECA opened doors for Karone, he wasn't going to complain this time.

"Yes!" came the quiet hiss as Karone stopped, her hands hovering over the screen.

"You found something?" Mike asked quickly and she looked up, blonde hair flying round her face as she turned.

"I think so," she replied. "There's not a lot of information, but it's enough."

"And?" Maya asked, her body tense.

"Hypnosia used a spell of some kind, probably one that's been implanted into the staff she used. It separates the soul from the body, leaving only a shell behind."

"That fits what happened to Kai," Damon said slowly. "So how do we fix it?"

Karone shrugged. "Break the spell. Do that and all the souls she's stolen should return to their bodies, including Kai."

"Any ideas on how we break the spell?" Mike queried, his face reflecting the rising hope they all felt.

"Possibly."

* * *

"A spell?" Leo said dubiously. "Since when does Trakeena use magic?"

"She doesn't," Karone replied, "she's not a sorceress like I was. But that doesn't mean she wouldn't use it indirectly, through someone else."

"She'd use anything she thought would get her what she wants," Maya pointed out. "We all know that."

Leo nodded. "I'm assuming there's a plan?"

"There's kind of a plan," Karone started, but she was interrupted by the sound of the ship's alarms.

"Mountain Dome, rangers," came Alpha's voice over the comm system. "Hypnosia's back."

"We'll fill you in on the way," Mike finished as they all headed for the door, fully intent on ending things this time.

On his way to the door, Leo hesitated by the bed where Kai was sitting, dark eyes still blank and unseeing and his stomach tightened again at the sight. "I don't know if you can hear me," he began quietly, "but we're going to fix this, Kai. I promise. You'll be back in no time."

"Leo, come on," Damon called from the door and Leo nodded in response.

"I'm coming." He paused once more at the door, taking one last look. Reminding himself of what Trakeena had to pay for.

* * *

Arriving in the Mountain Dome, Leo's vision narrowed once again as they found Hypnosia leaning against a tree, staff held loosely in her hand.

"You certainly took your time," she said, tone bored. "Ready to die yet?"

"Are you?" he snapped, pulling his sabre out and holding it steady. "You get one chance and that's it. Undo what you did to Kai and we'll find another way around this."

The alien woman laughed. "Right. Like that would happen." She straightened abruptly, moving away from the tree she'd been lounging against and shifting into a battle-ready stance. "I already have one of you and eventually I'll have you all. Who do you want to lose next, red ranger? The yellow ranger?" She pointed the staff at Maya who barely managed to roll out of the way of the blast. "Or the pink one, perhaps?" Karone dodged and the blast hit the tree behind her instead. "The mighty Magna Defender?" Mike took the blast on his sword, reflecting it back at her and sending her flying right into Damon's waiting arms. At least until she jabbed him in the stomach with an elbow and slithered out of his grasp, kicking his feet from under him and levelling the staff at his head. "Or maybe the green ranger will be next. What do you think?"

"I think not," Leo growled and, realising Maya was readying her transdagger he kept Hypnosia's attention firmly fixed on him. "How about you fix Kai and we don't destroy you?" Maya fired a split second after the scathing rejection, blasting the alien woman away from Damon, allowing him to roll to his feet.

The battle was savage, more so than usual. Neither side was prepared to give quarter, both going all out and it was clear that there was really only one way this would end. Badly.

"Leo, break the staff!" Karone shouted as he temporarily fell back, taking a quick moment to catch his breath. "That should break the spell she has on Kai."

He nodded in acknowledgement and threw himself back into the fight, going after Hypnosia with a flurry of strokes from his sabre, attacks that she was barely able to block until finally she over-extended, the staff far from her body where she wouldn't be able to react quickly enough. Bringing his Quasar Sabre down swiftly, Leo poured all of his emotions into the strike - his fury, his fear, his need for Kai to be alright again - and shattered the staff before she could react, his sword flaring a bright red at the contact. Much to his surprise though, he didn't feel the sense of satisfaction he would have expected had he stopped to think, he was simply numb. Much like when he'd finally defeated Furio, the monster he'd held responsible for the presumed death of his brother, the defeat meant nothing without Mike, or in this case, Kai.

With Hypnosia down and her staff broken Leo quickly activated his communicator. "Kai? Kai, are you there?"

There was a moment of excruciating silence until Kai's voice came through loud and clear. "Yeah, I'm here. Leo, what's going on? Why am I in the infirmary?"

Unable to stop his smile Leo shook his head, even if Kai couldn't see him. "Doesn't matter. Just get your butt over here, we need you."

"On my way," was the immediate response and the line went dead. Sagging in relief Leo quickly straightened again as Hypnosia got back to her feet.

"You may have destroyed my staff," she hissed. "But you won't stop me."

It was with a sinking heart that Leo watched her grow until she dominated the horizon, laughter echoing around the mountain bluffs in an eerie ricochet.

"Fine," he replied. "If that's how you want it. Galactabeasts. Arise!"

The cries of their zords rent the air: the roar of his lion; the growls of Karone's and Maya's galactabeasts; the screech of Damon's condor; the roar of Torrozord as Mike transformed. Another roar indicated the Gorilla was there as well. As the beasts transformed into the megazord it was with great relief he saw the blue-clad figure entering his zord in time with the rest of them. Kai must have broken a few speed limits to get here so fast. That or Alpha had something to do with it.

The battle went pretty much as planned now that they were all back together. As a team they were practically invincible - no one kept them down for long - and the moment Hypnosia had taken it to the big league she'd all but doomed herself. Sagging back slightly from his zord control panel once the final explosion was finished, Leo sighed quietly. It was over.

Demorphing, Leo was the first to reach Kai as they exited the megazord, throwing an arm around him protectively before the girls launched themselves at him, Damon and Mike not far behind.

"Okay, okay," Kai laughed as he firmly extricated himself from the pile-on, "can someone please tell me what happened?"

"Later," Leo said, not yet ready to talk about it. "Let's just go eat or something."

* * *

Back in their quarters after the impromptu meal at Bulk's restaurant, Leo sank down onto his bed and pulled Kai down with him, the other man not resisting, simply making himself comfortable in the small amount of space. They lay there in silence for a while, Leo combing his fingers through Kai's hair, reassuring himself that he was there, that he was really alright and not still an empty shell sitting in the infirmary.

Kai's head turned slightly towards his. "I'm alright, Leo," he said quietly, breath tickling the side of Leo's neck, his nose brushing briefly against his ear, hand sliding across Leo's stomach.

"Yeah, I know," he replied, trying to sound more upbeat than he felt. There was a soft snort of derision that told him Kai didn't buy it for a second, but as no comment was forthcoming Leo tilted his head so it was resting against Kai's and simply let himself feel, the warmth of the other man's presence easing his tightly strung nerves, relaxing him as Kai's fingers toyed absently with his shirt hem.

Secure in the knowledge that everything had worked out, Leo sighed softly in contentment and let himself drift off, Kai's quiet, even breathing lulling him into sleep better than any lullaby.


	5. Kissing in the Rain

Quiet After the Storm

(Tag to 'Blue to the Test')

* * *

Leo hesitated by the blanket lying on the grass. Was it too much? he wondered. It was supposed to be a quiet evening to celebrate Kai's first command of the colony, which, wonder of wonders, had gone off without a hitch. The previous day had been a trying one for Kai, not only getting suspended from duty, but having to actually defend himself against his commanding officer while Commander Stanton was under Trakeena's influence and setting Terra Venture on a crash course with a star, and today was supposed to be exactly the opposite - calm and relaxing, with preferably lots of kissing et cetera thrown in for good measure.

He just wasn't sure about the picnic setting. If it had been a girl he was setting this up for he wouldn't have worried, picnics were a traditional date setting. But Kai wasn't a girl, not even close and maybe a picnic wasn't the best idea he'd ever had… Too late; Kai had just come round the corner. No backing out now. At least the blanket wasn't pink and fluffy or anything like that.

Much to his relief, Kai didn't comment, didn't even blink, just sat down and eyed the basket warily. "Do I even want to know what's in there?" he asked and Leo gave him a wounded look.

"Kai, I'm hurt. You really think I'd subject you to my cooking?"

The other man's mouth twitched. "It wouldn't be the first time."

About to defend himself against such a blatant insult, Leo shut his mouth abruptly as he remembered the smoke-venting incident. "Anyway," he continued hurriedly, "I figured that it's too nice out to go for hot food so it's mainly salad and stuff.

Kai shrugged. "Fine with me."

The meal passed without incident. For once it seemed that Trakeena's impeccable timing on disrupting their dates was off. That or she was still smarting over her latest defeat. Leo didn't care which it was though, as long as she stayed quiet; the last thing he wanted right now was an interruption. His hands settled easily on Kai's waist as the other man leant forward, bracing himself with his hands on either side of Leo's hips as their mouths met in lazy exploration.

Distracted as they were, they didn't notice the slowly darkening sky or the gathering clouds above their heads, not until the first raindrops landed on them. Breaking apart with muttered curses, Leo grabbed hold of Kai's nearest wrist and pulled him under the nearest tree to get some shelter. As the rain intensified he sighed mournfully. "So much for the picnic," he said in resignation. "Was there even rain scheduled for today?"

Kai grinned, looking far too happy for someone whose hair was plastered to his head. "This from the guy who set up a storm when it wasn't scheduled?" he asked mischievously and Leo elbowed him in the side.

"That was different."

"Of course it was," Kai answered blandly. Before Leo could do more than glare at him however, Kai took firm hold of his shirt and pulled him forward. "Stop talking," he said as Leo opened his mouth to say something and Leo was happy to comply when it sank in that less talking meant more kissing. More kissing was definitely a good thing.

It looked like the date hadn't been a total wash out after all.


	6. Dream

Siren Song

(post-Trakeena's Revenge)

Blue lightning flared across his vision, followed by the unpleasant sensation of being turned inside out. A face filled his vision, long braided blond hair and a blue tattoo adorning the forehead. The Guardian of the Galaxy Book stared at him, eyes boring into him, burning with an unnerving intensity.

"You are the Guardian of the Book now," the Guardian said, the words echoing around his head, the accusation plain. Of _course_, the Book. How could he have forgotten?

Kai woke sharply, fully awake in a moment and he sat up in bed, mind racing. The Galaxy Book, how could he have forgotten? Apparently during the hurried evacuation of the colony the Book had been overlooked somehow, which was stupid. Yes, they'd been under attack at the time, Trakeena intent on exterminating them, but there was no excuse for forgetting something as dangerously powerful as that book, and that went double for him. He was the Guardian now, he shouldn't have left it behind. Too late for that now though, what was done was done and he couldn't change it. What he _could_ do though, what he _had_ to do, was get the Book back and keep it safe.

There was a quiet shuffle in the darkness, a faint creak as Leo sat up, rubbing his eyes blearily. "Kai? Is something wrong?"

For a moment Kai thought of telling him, then dismissed the idea. The Book was his responsibility, no one else's, it was up to him to find it and keep it safe. "Just a dream," he said, turning his head and giving the former red ranger what he could manage of a half-smile. "Go back to sleep."

Leo frowned, expression barely visible in the dim light, but it seemed he wasn't entirely satisfied, judging by the narrowed eyes studying him suspiciously.

"Leo, I'm fine; it was just a dream. Nothing to worry about."

Leo let out a derisive snort but nonetheless didn't push the issue. He'd have to be careful tomorrow though, Kai knew. Once Leo got an idea in his head it was impossible to shake and if he was convinced that Kai was hiding something from him he wouldn't rest until he found out what.

Avoiding Leo, however, was not as easy it seemed. The other man had at first been placated by a teeny tiny lie about his dream the night before, it wasn't the first time he'd woken suddenly from dreams about Deviot after all, even now when the war against Trakeena was long over. The period of grace didn't last as long as he'd hoped, though. Wherever he went, Leo always had some reason to be there as well and it was incredibly frustrating.

Discreet enquiries among the scientific staff had told him little beyond the fact that the Galaxy Book wasn't in their possession, which in all honesty hadn't surprised him, even though he'd hoped to find otherwise. That left a few other places that needed checking and some of them weren't going to be easy to get at.

"What are you up to?" Leo murmured in his ear almost a week later as the pair of them made their way to Maya's village. The Mirinoans held them in high honour and the former rangers were often respectfully requested when problems couldn't be easily solved among the villagers themselves. While their word wasn't exactly law their opinions held a lot of weight and any suggestions they made were usually taken up with a minimum of grumbling.

"Up to?" he asked innocently. "Why would I be up to anything?"

Leo shrugged, his eyes fixed on the not yet visible village. "No reason." Usually by this point if the problem was urgent there would be someone waiting for them so the absence was a relief, this problem wasn't too vital. They were in a unique position, the former rangers. While some in the village resented the presence of the colony and were reluctant to have many dealings with the people from Earth, the rangers themselves were, if not welcomed, accepted. They belonged to two worlds now, the one they'd come from and the one that had chosen them as warriors.

Their identities as rangers had come out after the fact but they'd managed to put some damage control on it so only members of the Council and a few unavoidable others knew who they were, who they'd been. An explanation had been necessary, anyway, for why the people of Mirinoi would accept the arbitration of the former rangers, even in conflicts between the colony and the village, over that of anyone else, even those trained in negotiation.

"It's just," Leo continued, "you've been asking a lot of questions lately."

"Have I?"

"Questions," Leo persisted, "about the Galaxy Book."

Kai stopped dead in shock. How had Leo figured that out?

"Why do you want to know about the Book?" Leo asked, his blue shirt blowing gently in the breeze. Kai tried to keep going but Leo moved in front, blocking the path. "Why now? It's been three years, Kai. What do you want the Book for?"

"That doesn't concern you," Kai replied sharply and went to move past the other man, only for Leo to step in front of him again.

"Don't give me that," Leo snapped. "The Galaxy Book is dangerous, Kai, you know that. Why do you want it?"

"It's not your business, Leo. Stay out of it." _Why couldn't he just let it go?_ Kai wondered irritably. This was his responsibility, one he'd put off long enough, and it was something the others wouldn't understand. They hadn't before, when the previous Guardian had arrived on Terra Venture. While they might not have said so out loud, the implication that they thought he was being manipulated had been clear and he had no intention of putting himself in that position again. Not even Leo had believed him, agreeing with the others that the whole thing was nothing more than another of Trakeena's plans.

His blunt statement had the desired effect though. Leo backed off, although not before the utter shock and hurt on his face had registered, making Kai feel like a complete heel. Damn Leo and his inability to hide what he was feeling, he thought sourly, the trek to the village passing in stony silence.

* * *

"You are the Guardian of the Book. Find it. Guard it."

"I'm trying, I don't know where it is."

"Find it. Guard it."

Kai sat up in bed once again, his shirt clinging to him, his heart racing. He missed the calming presence of Leo sleeping next to him, grounding him in reality instead of the bewildering surrealness of his dreams.

* * *

"Alright," Kendrix said, poking him sharply in the chest, ignoring his protestations. "What's wrong between you and Leo?"

"Nothing," he muttered.

"Kai." The warning in her voice was clearly audible and he scowled.

"I said, it's nothing, okay? Can we drop this?"

"Nope," Kendrix replied, folding her arms and glaring at him from behind her glasses. "Spill. You and Leo don't fight that much so if the pair of you are freezing each other out then something's wrong. The others are worried as well," she added and Kai scowled some more. Great. That was just what he needed. Concerned teammates would only get in the way.

"I don't want to talk about it," he said finally. "Kendrix, please, let it go. Leo and I can work this out ourselves."

"Because that's going so well at the moment," Kendrix agreed. "Kai, if something's wrong, maybe talking about it would help. Whatever's going on with you, it's weighing you down."

"I'm fine," he snapped. Why did everyone keep trying to get him to talk? Didn't they understand he couldn't talk about this?

"You're not yourself, Kai," his friend said softly. "We can all see that. You're cutting yourself off from us, from everyone and by the looks of it you aren't sleeping." Kai flinched, the dreams rearing their head, the Guardian's voice echoing in his ears. _Find the Book. Guard it. You are the Guardian now_. Kendrix continued as if she hadn't noticed, but he knew that she had; they'd been friends too long for her to miss his reaction and he knew what that slight narrowing of the eyes meant: Kendrix knew she was onto something and she was just as persistent as Leo. "We hardly see you at mealtimes anymore either, so who knows if you're even eating anymore. When was the last time you cooked, Kai?"

"What does that matter?" he demanded, a little dismayed that he couldn't say for sure.

She shrugged. "Kai, we're worried about you. Let us help."

"There's nothing to help with," he shouted. "Why can't any of you get that? I don't need your help, I don't need _you!_" The words were out before he could stop them and he had a moment to regret saying them before he shoved it away. It was for the best, he told himself as Kendrix stared at him in shock, her expression almost exactly the same as Leo's had been. If they didn't want to be around him it would make things easier on everyone.

* * *

"You are the Guardian now. Find the Book. Guard it."

Always the same. Three little sentences that consumed his world, blotting out everything else.

"Find the Book. Guard it."

They were whispering about him, he knew. Conversations that stopped if he chanced by, sidelong looks when they thought he wasn't looking. They were planning something, scheming… He'd need to keep an eye on them, couldn't let them stop him from carrying out his duty. Couldn't let them--

* * *

"I'm worried about Kai," Kendrix said into the silence. "If we were still fighting Trakeena or Scorpius I'd say they'd put a spell or something on him."

The flames of the small bonfire flickered in the darkness and there was a quiet sound of agreement from beside her where Maya was sitting. "We need to find out what's wrong," her girlfriend agreed quietly. "It's not like Kai to be this distant."

"Is there anything that could be responsible for this?" Mike wanted to know. "Any kind of food that has paranoia-inducing properties?"

Maya shook her head. "No. And even if there were we'd have told you by now."

"I know that," he said hurriedly. "I just meant, was there anything he could have eaten or drunk that would make him act this way."

"Not that I know of."

"I say we sit on him until he talks," Damon ventured. "Kai won't budge unless he's pushed. If we want to get anything out of him we're going to need more drastic measures."

"I doubt sitting on him would help," Kendrix said dryly. "It'll just close him up even more. Leo, what do you think? Is there anything that could explain why Kai's acting like this?"

Leo didn't answer for a moment, staring at the flames in silence. As of yet he was the only one who hadn't said anything and he was arguably the one who'd know the most. "He's been having these dreams," he said eventually, gaze not wavering from the fire, the orange light flickering across his face, casting dancing shadows that obscured his expression. "He wouldn't talk about them. Last time I asked he said they were about Deviot, back when we found the lost galactabeasts."

"And?"

"And that was it; that was all he'd say. But not long after that he started asking around about the Galaxy Book."

There was a stunned silence, broken only by Maya's gasp of surprise and Damon's startled 'What?'

"The Galaxy Book?" Kendrix asked. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Why would he want that?"

"He didn't say," was the faintly bitter reply. "Apparently it wasn't any of my business."

"I thought the Book was destroyed with the colony," Damon said, puzzled, his fingers absently toying with a spare part he was in the middle of fixing.

"So did I," Mike agreed.

"I think we all did," Maya concluded. "We were so busy fighting Trakeena we didn't have time to worry about the Book."

Kendrix stayed quiet, her mind assimilating everything while she avoided the feelings of awkwardness that always flared up at mentions of the final battle, or fights that had occurred while she'd been… away, it wasn't their fault after all, that they sometimes just assumed she'd remember things that had happened while Karone had been the pink ranger. It didn't happen so often anymore, but it still came up on rare occasions. In a way it had almost been a relief when Karone had left, gone back to KO-35 or wherever she'd wanted to go. It wasn't that she hadn't liked her, what little she knew of her, but the awkwardness had been getting to everyone until Karone had taken matters into her own hands and said goodbye.

"We need to find out why he's so intent on finding the Book," Mike said into the heavy silence that had fallen. "Maybe if we can find that out, we can find out what's wrong with Kai and fix it."

There were nods of agreement all round, all save Leo, still staring into the fire.

* * *

Kai made his way impatiently through the forest, branches brushing at his face and leaving shallow grazes in their wake. He'd all but turned the colony upside down trying to find the book, searched all the shuttles, damaged or not, looking for a hint. Anything. He'd even searched all the places where parts of the Terra Venture had crashed and again found nothing. That left only one place. The one place he'd always known, deep down, that the book had to be. The moon. The moon Terra Venture had crashed on when Trakeena had attacked that final time.

Trakeena. He paused in his march to the Jet Jammers, his stomach churning uneasily, his hands clammy. Trakeena had been on Terra Venture alone, searching for power, what if she'd found it? They'd destroyed her back on Earth, what if she was the only one who knew where the Book was? What if it now remained lost forever? What if…?

_No_. He forced himself to breathe again. Trakeena hadn't been looking for that kind of power, more interested in the power of Terra Venture's core. She'd had no reason to even know about the book in the first place let alone go looking for it. The Book would still be somewhere in the ruins of the colony ship, safe. No one would think to look for it, nor have the means to do so. He hadn't failed, not yet.

Resuming his trek to the Jammers he was oblivious to everything else and as a result he was almost on top of Leo before he even realised he was there, the other man leaning against his own Jammer, arms folded and watching him steadily.

"Thought you'd end up here, sooner of later," was the neutral greeting.

"What are you doing here?" he snapped, not pleased with this unforeseen development. Leo was in the way, always interfering, never letting anything go, why couldn't he just…

"I could ask you the same thing. Except I already know the answer." Leo straightened up, arms dropping to his sides. "You're going after the Galaxy Book. It's somewhere on the moon, isn't it?"

Always in the way, always interfering. The blood roared in Kai's ears. Presumption. Not his business, not his place. How dare he?

"Now, I don't know about you, but I'd find it a little hard to breathe in empty vacuum, so just getting in the Jammer and zipping off to the moon isn't going to do anything other than get you killed."

The words just about permeated the haze of rage, the cool logic bringing a semblance of reason to the fires burning inside, driving him to complete his mission, no matter what.

"So, that being the case, I'll make you a deal."

"Deal?" he asked suspiciously and Leo nodded.

"A deal. If you plan on using the Jammer to get to the moon you'll need to morph and for that you'll need your sabre. The others won't let you get near it, but I can get you past them." Leo paused, possibly waiting for the 'Why?' hovering on Kai's tongue. When the moment dragged without a response, Leo shrugged and carried on. "In return for helping you get your sabre, I go with you to the moon and we find the Book together."

"No," Kai said immediately.

"That's the deal, take it or leave it. But if you don't agree then you don't go anywhere because I will drag you back to the colony and tie you to your bed until you come to your senses."

Panic flared, mixed with the ever-present anger. Leo would carry out his threat, he didn't doubt that, but he couldn't let it happen. Not finding the Book was unacceptable. "Why?" He asked the question now, unable to comprehend Leo's reasoning.

"Why what? Why will I tie you to your bed or…"

"Why are you so determined to come?"

Green eyes met his squarely, determination warring with calm steadiness. Pushing away from the Jammer, Leo took a couple of steps forward and cupped his face in his hands. Fighting the instinct to pull away, not be distracted by anything that would get in his way, Kai let him, the fires driving him ever on fading a little at the touch. "Because we're in this together," Leo said firmly. "Where you go, I go, simple as that. I can't let you do this on your own, Kai; we work better as a team."

Kai stared at him, agreement battling with rage as he found himself held by hypnotic green eyes. "Fine," he said eventually. "Help me and you can come along."

Leo smiled and let go, indicating the direction of the sabres. "Shall we?"

Half an hour later the pair of them landed on the moon, inside what was left of the City Dome. He'd been tempted to leave Leo behind, but one smile had put paid to that plan and Kai found himself searching with Leo at his side, despite all his objections and better judgment.

"Where are we looking?" Leo asked, looking around at the remains of what had once been a thriving city.

"Our quarters," he answered shortly. "That's where we kept it. If it's not there we'll need to spread out."

"Alright," was the easy agreement and they made their way carefully through the streets, avoiding the rubble scattered across the sidewalks. There wasn't much left of their room, in fact it was tilted on its side and they had to be careful how they trod in order to keep their balance. "Kai," Leo said eventually, breaking the silence, "I think you should see this."

Impatiently he made his way over to where Leo was standing, only for his heart to sink and the panic in his mind surged back full force. There was a hole in the wall, or what had been the wall and was currently acting as a floor, a gaping hole that reached down the surface of the moon.

"I don't think the Book's here anymore," Leo said quietly.

"Then we keep looking."

_Find the book. Find the book. Find it, find it, find it._

They searched for what felt like hours, keeping a careful eye on the tremors that rattled the ship every now and then, sending more debris to the floor. He could feel it now, feel the book calling to him. It was close, so close now, right within his reach if only he knew where to look. He stared around the debris and rubble, part of a signpost lying flat across a rock and pointing right at him. Narrowing his eyes he thought he could see… _there_. Scrambling across the rubble he began lifting it clear, the size and weight not a problem in his need to get at the book.

Finally, _finally_, he managed to extract it and he ran a gloved hand over it, tracing the pattern on the front of it. There was a shout of alarm behind him and he looked back to see Leo looking upwards and a large piece of Terra Venture giving up the ghost and falling in slow motion. There was no way Leo would make it out of the way in time and Kai dropped the Galaxy Book without hesitation, launching himself at the other man and pushing him out of the way.

If there had been any atmosphere for sound to carry in there would doubtless have been a gigantic crashing sound, but instead all they got was the ground roiling beneath them with the weight of the impact. Kai huddled over Leo, protecting him from any further debris until finally the ground stopped shaking and they got slowly to their feet. He swallowed hard when he realised that the debris had fallen right where Leo had been standing. If he hadn't gotten him out of the way… His knees felt like they'd been turned to jelly and he had no idea how he managed to stay standing.

"You okay?" he asked and Leo nodded.

"Yeah. You?"

"I'm fine."

"You had the Book."

He automatically glanced back to where he'd found it. "Yeah."

"Well?" Leo demanded. "We came all this way, aren't you going to go and get it?"

"I guess," he agreed slowly, reluctant to leave Leo's side, not wanting him out of his sight.

"Come on then," Leo said impatiently, easing his way through the rubble. "The sooner we get the damn Book the sooner we can go home."

Catching up easily, Kai was soon ahead and picking up the book again. Now that he'd found it the relentless urges that had been pushing him were fading and he felt more clear-headed than he had for weeks. Looking back at his actions since the dreams had started he felt incredibly ashamed of how he'd behaved and it was something he didn't know how to fix.

The flight back to Mirinoi passed in silence and they managed to land in an empty clearing without attracting the attention of their teammates. Powering down, Kai focused his attention on the book, tracing the symbol with his eyes so he didn't have to face Leo. Leo, of course, had other ideas. A couple of fingers under his chin lifted his head to meet Leo's and the faint smile the other man was wearing.

"Better now?" Leo asked, thumb brushing lightly against his chin and Kai swallowed, then nodded.

"Yeah."

"Why was this so important?"

"I'm the Guardian," he said softly. "And I'd forgotten."

"So it made you all crazy?" Leo sounded affronted. "It doesn't get to do that, that's my job."

Kai couldn't help himself, the surprised laughter breaking out of him. "That's all you've got to say?" he asked once the laughter had died down. "After everything I did how can you just…"

"Hey, hey," Leo interrupted. "Not your fault. We've seen mind control before, alright? You weren't yourself and you can't blame yourself because I don't. Neither do the others, either."

As if the words had summoned them, their teammates ran onto the scene, all of them talking over each other so that nothing made sense until they slowed down and started talking one at a time.

That night, the first night in who knew how long, Leo was back where he belonged, in their bed and drowsily running his fingers through Kai's hair, seemingly just as reluctant to have space between them as Kai himself was. The Book had been safely locked away and hidden, only Kai and Leo knew where. He hadn't wanted Leo to be involved but had finally conceded that the red ranger wouldn't let himself be kept out.

He smiled in the darkness, tracing aimless patterns on Leo's stomach. It was good to have things back to normal.


	7. Commitment

Out of the Blue

"I think I love you."

Kai froze with his hands in hot water, fingers suddenly glued to the washing up he was in the middle of and stared blankly at the wall, trying to process the words that had just come out of nowhere. _I think I love you? _Where'd that come from? And… seriously? If this was another one of Leo's twisted attempts at humour he was going to…

He turned around, fingers dripping water onto the floor as he stared at Leo in confusion. He certainly _seemed_ sincere, Kai would give him that. Leo's hands were shoved in his pockets, his shoulders hunched and his expression was a mix of determination, uncertainty and not a little fear. He looked like he was ready to bolt if he didn't get a reaction soon. The only problem was… Kai didn't have any idea what to say. How do you react when the person you're dating suddenly comes out with 'I think I love you'? Yes, they'd been dating for a while, but this? This was completely out of the blue and he had no idea how to respond. All he could do was stare in bewilderment.

* * *

Leo felt his heart sink as Kai froze, spine stiffening in a way that was never good. Damn, why had he said that? It wasn't what he'd been going to say but somehow he'd ended up just… blurting it out. And now everything was going straight to hell. Kai was staring at him, lips parted slightly in surprise and he couldn't remember _ever_ seeing Kai this off guard.

_Come on, say something_, he thought desperately, anxiety getting a firmer grip the longer Kai remained silent, simply staring. _I don't care what, just say **something**._

But Kai didn't. And in the end Leo couldn't take the silence anymore, muttering something unintelligible and making a speedy exit.

Without thinking about where he was going, Leo walked through the streets of Terra Venture, directionless, following where his feet took him. Over and over, all he could see was Kai's blank expression, dark eyes unreadable. Okay, so maybe the confession had come pretty much out of nowhere but he was pretty sure you weren't supposed to just stand and stare when someone admitted they were in love with you. Or at least, pretty sure that they were in love with you. Any kind of reaction would have better than just blankness. Even a 'hey, that's nice, but really this is just about sex' would have been better than the nothingness he'd gotten.

Who cared anyway? he thought viciously. So maybe Kai didn't give a damn, so what? That was fine with him. So what if he'd put his heart on the line and had it stamped on, big deal. Wouldn't be the first time.

"Hey, Leo! Leo, wait up would you?"

He carried on walking, not wanting to talk to _anyone_ right now. Was it too much to ask to be left alone?

"Leo, stop already."

A firm hand grabbed his shoulder, pulling him to a stop. Reluctantly he looked up into the face of his older brother, Mike's forehead creased with worry.

"Leo, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he muttered and Mike frowned, disbelief plain on his face.

"Come on," he said, more gently this time. "Talk to me, Leo. What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Right. That's why you're walking through the City Dome looking like your world just fell apart."

"Shut up," he muttered. He hated being that obvious.

"Did something happen with Kai?"

Leo stiffened reflexively, despite the fact he'd pretty much given away that something _had_ happened. "No," he grated. "Let it go, Mike."

Mike studied him for a moment thoughtfully. "Alright," he said eventually. "Whatever this is, it's between you and Kai. But if you change your mind and want to talk about it? You know where I am."

"Sure. Whatever." He turned away from his brother and let his feet carry him wherever they wanted to go.

He finally found himself on the beach in the Earth Dome, sitting on the sand and watching the simulated tide going out as the sun set. It was just his luck that there were no stones or anything around, not when he really felt like skipping rocks along the water to release some frustration.

He didn't react when he felt someone standing behind him, knowing exactly who it would be. He wasn't entirely sure he wanted to be around Kai right now, not until he'd got his head cleared. He carried on watching the waves as Kai sat down next to him, silent as he was, and that was how they remained for a couple of minutes; time seeming to stretch for ever, the tension slowly building.

"Did you mean it?" Kai asked eventually and Leo risked a sideways glance at him. He still couldn't read anything off him, damn it, and Kai wasn't looking at him, just looking out over the receding tide. Bracing himself, Leo turned to face Kai squarely, or at least, Kai's profile.

"Yes," he said firmly. "I might not have meant to say it, but I did mean it."

There was a long pause when time seemed to stop, when he couldn't breathe but his heart was beating so fast it felt it would give out, when it felt like this moment right here was the most important one of his life, and then Kai's shoulders slumped slightly, head slightly bowed.

Damn. Now everything really _was_ screwed.

"Look, it's fine if you don't--"

"I do."

"…really?"

Kai finally met his gaze and his mouth quirked up in the small smile that usually only showed up in their quieter moments. "Yeah."

_Well alright, then. _


End file.
